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Home plate umpire Gerry Davis touches the neck of New York Yankees starting pitcher Michael Pineda as teammates watch in the second inning of a baseball game against the Boston Red Sox at Fenway Park in Boston, Wednesday, April 23, 2014. Pineda was ejected after a foreign substance was found on his neck. (AP Photo/Elise Amendola)

BOSTON -- Pine tar dominated the airwaves and print cycles on Thursday, and took one more turn through the world of baseball when the question of a rule change was proposed.

Some wonder why it's considered acceptable to use pine tar to get a grip, but only when it's hidden.

"I think there are some things, and this being one of them inside the game, that pitchers, particularly in climates like last night, you’re looking for some sort of grip," said Boston Red Sox manager John Farrell. "I think there are probably ways you can be a little more discreet."

Asked if there was need to change the rule, so that pine tar could become more acceptable, Farrell said, "No, I don’t think this is a something that is in need of a rule change. Seemingly has worked fine for a number of years."

New York Yankees manager Joe Girardi had a different opinion, telling reporters Thursday that a rule change might be a good idea.

"It's something that obviously if they feel it needs to be addressed, they’ll address it," Girardi said. "I’m sure it’s been brought up before by people in baseball. Obviously when you get into some of these northeastern cities, or the Midwest, there's some really tough conditions. So I wouldn’t be against the coming up with an idea."

It's all tough to make sense of, but many inside the game are trying to preserve originalities that have existed for decades. Pitchers have always found a way to get a better grip, but the preference is that it's done carefully and delicately, without doctoring the baseball for additional spin.

It's almost like speeding. Most people speed, but whether or not they're ticketed just depends how far over the speed limit someone is going.

"That is kind of strange isn’t it?" Girardi said. "It makes you wonder if people understand that there is something wrong when it’s cold, and it is hard for people to grip a baseball. Is it something that needs to be addressed in some meetings?"